FORMER president Rodrigo Duterte is reportedly considering Australia as a potential location for his interim release from the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to Vice President Sara Duterte.
During a recent personal trip to Australia, the Vice President confirmed that Australia is among the countries being considered by the former President’s legal team. However, she emphasized that her own visit was not related to securing his interim release.
The Vice President’s trip focused on engaging with the international community and the Filipino community in Australia to discuss the ICC case against Duterte and the current administration’s performance.
While the Vice President attempted to meet with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the meeting did not take place due to scheduling conflicts.
Former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo reportedly had no prior knowledge of Australia being considered for Duterte’s interim release.
Duterte is facing charges of “crimes against humanity” related to his administration’s brutal anti-narcotics campaign and extrajudicial killings during his time as mayor of Davao City. He was arrested in March at the ICC Detention Center in The Hague, Netherlands.
Duterte’s legal team has officially filed a request for interim release with the ICC, specifying an unnamed country willing to accept him. His lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, stated that Duterte’s health is suitable for travel and that he would attend court hearings.
The unnamed country is a state party to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC, and the prosecution has not opposed the request. The legal team is hopeful that the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber will approve the interim release.
